WEB EXCLUSIVE

Possessing an annual pass to Universal Studios means more to me than the average theme park attendee. Being able to roam Jurassic Park or Diagon Alley on a monthly basis acts as my escape from the stress of life and anxiety. Being in Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios let me live my dreams of being inside movies that I grew up watching. Whenever I enter the gates to either park, I am overtaken by the magical atmosphere and immediately tune out of the real world.

Dealing with anxiety throughout one’s life takes a massive toll on your health and mindset. For me, anxiety lurks behind what to most people are commonalities, such as driving, going through a school day, texting someone first, attending a football game, etc. This drives me into a lull that keeps digging further into the ground, until I find a way to escape- even for just one day. My pass means I can make sure when things are getting tough, I’m able to walk into a different world where stress can’t touch me, where I can be myself to no limits, and forget about my responsibilities. It’s a feeling of pure happiness, which I’ve had a hard time coming by from outside those marvelous gates.

I want to be able to experience that rush every day for the rest of my life and help in the process of giving other tourists or regulars that same feeling by becoming a graphic designer for Universal Studios. To be able to create what’s in the park and be a part of, what I think is, something more important than a theme park to make your kid’s birthday- it’s the oasis in the desert of life.